Every morning as Sage Hill students and faculty drive up to campus, they are greeted by some familiar faces — the security guards that keep vigil at the gates. They are here to ensure the safety of the whole Sage community, during the school day and beyond. 

“The first guards are here at five in the morning,” said Jocelyn Rodriguez, a security guard at Sage, “And the last shifts end at 10:30.”

The now two-year-long pandemic has altered the work of Sage’s security guards immensely. Last year, the officers performed temperature checks on students coming to school. Even now, students self-report their wellness on Titan HST, which the officers would look over upon their entry to campus.

“It takes a while to get adapted to everything,” said Rodriguez, “but it’s definitely not pointless work.”

In fact, Rodriguez is glad that these changes have given her and her co-workers more opportunities to interact with the rest of the community. 

“We actually started getting more familiarized with employees and students, and I feel like we have a better connection with parents here as well,” said Rodriguez. “For the longest time no one really had full conversations with us. But now they talk to us and see us like we’re just anyone else.”

Rodriguez has also had her struggles, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. The isolation and the distancing of relationships has been challenging for her to get used to. 

“I was also used to connecting and talking to my co-workers, but then I’m suddenly by myself,” said Rodriguez.

But overall, Rodriguez feels the trials of the pandemic have certainly not been unsurpassable, and that the Sage Hill community has been very supportive in that they had taken the time to get to know her and her fellow officers.

“I would like to say thank you to everybody,” she said.